


Crescendo

by arigato_sasusaku



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Post canon, theyll get there eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-26 03:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arigato_sasusaku/pseuds/arigato_sasusaku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because to 'fall' in love sounded too reckless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crescendo

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first thing on here, still trying to work everything out at the moment~

x-x-x-x-x-

To fall in love sounded ridiculous to Sasuke.

Falling implied a quick, instantaneous event and seemed so unlikely he brushed it off without a second thought. Who ever allowed themselves to become to emotionally clumsy deserved to be called a fool.

If he learned to love, he would not be falling into anything. 

It started small, quiet. He found that he could tolerate her company more than he used to. She was patient and willing when he was frustrated and wanting to take his anger out on the nearest person - no matter who they were. In the hours post these moments, after he looked past his annoyance that she so willingly allowed herself to be his verbal punching bag, he realised that he somewhat appreciated the gesture.

She didnt pry or ask naive questions as she used to, Sakura listened and input when needed. Even when he could tell that she didnt agree with his inconsolable hatred of the village by the look in her eyes, she said nothing, merely allowing him to vent.

One evening, early into his return, when his anger had hit its high, the boy seeing red as a creased written apology with a rushed signature from the elders crumpled in his palm, Sakura found him.

_”This. This is all they fucking give me! They ordered the massacre of my clan, my family and they just-“_

This time, she had interrupted his pacing with a simple, _“We should spar, Sasuke-kun. I think it’ll help you.”_

He had been so momentarily stunned at the suggestion, he could do nothing more than eventually quietly comply. He didnt even say a word when she silently took the letter from his palm and began to smooth out the creases. 

That was how they started sparring together and consequently spending more time in the others company. 

Sasuke found that he almost liked sparring with her.

Her techniques had changed drastically since they were genin (thank kami-sama) and the idea of the learning a new opponents moves and abilities was always an sought after adrenaline rush for any shinobi. Sakura had surprised him with her guts at first. He remembered the girl who worried about not having the time to dry her hair before missions, he didnt remember a kunoichi who would practically throw herself onto his blade only to heal the wound after. She wasnt scared to sacrifice her herself to land a hit on him.

It was odd, it was stupidly reckless …but it was exciting and Sasuke liked it.

She had been right, sparring did help his anger ebb away.

So when they sat tired and sweaty on the grass in the aftermath, Sasuke didnt object to her mindless chatter as she patched him up, a smile adoring her (often bleeding) lips. 

After that, it felt as if they fell into a routine of meeting to spar. Their healing sessions afterwards eventually became a place where Sakura would fill in Sasuke on all he had missed and inadvertently make him feel bitter and nostalgic in the mean time. 

He listened and she talked and every so often, the boy would ask questions that took Sakura by surprise but she would answer nonetheless. Sakura told him about the hospital and how Tsunade was making plans for her to take over after she retired. 

Sasuke recalled an odd feeling of pride washing over him when he turned to look at her, as if in that moment, he realised how much she had changed over the years. Her smiles were too bright and she was still… _annoying_  but Sakura was different. 

…And he found he liked it.

But one day, she didnt turn up to spar with him. In fact, Sakura didnt turn up at all and in the moments he spent waiting for her, seething and humiliated, Sasuke felt all previous liking or perhaps even  _fondness_ for the girl seep steadily away. He couldnt recall how long he sat in the training fields, jaw clenched so tight he could feel the muscle spasming before he stalked towards the hospital - nearly walking straight into someone as he exited the grounds.

He didnt know why he did it, he didnt even know what he hoped to achieve by finding her.

Walking straight past the reception desk, Sasuke followed the tiniest glimmer of chakra emanating from somewhere within the sickeningly sterile building. Once he  _knew_ she was there, in one of the rooms, Sasuke no longer kept a cap on his irritation - turning corners with purpose and glowering at anyone who dared question him. 

It was ridiculous.

Wasnt the whole point of meeting her in the first place to spar to control his anger? Ah, irony. 

He found himself throwing open the Hokage’s office door with such force and with such a lack of finesse, that it shuddered on its hinges. It was only when he came into contact with the piercing, incredulous gaze of the Hokage herself that Sasuke had realised his lack of respect.

Though after a few sharp words, Tsunade merely said, “She’s there,” And jabbed a pen towards the direction of a long seat at the side of the room. It was only due to this that Sasuke laid eyes on the girl, seemingly asleep on the piece of furniture.

His confusion must have shown because the older woman eventually elaborated.

"She passed out after a healing again," She murmured, a tinge of annoyance colouring her tone, "She sent someone to tell you she couldnt make it to …whatever you two do,"

It was at this that Sasuke looked back to the woman, a vague narrowing to his eyes but he dared not retort any sort of remark.

"But I guess judging by the way you barged in here, you didnt get that message."

Glancing back at the unconscious girl, his eyes narrowed slightly. He wondered when she had sent the supposed message and  _how_ considering her state of health - it was then that he recalled the person he had swiftly ignored upon leaving the training grounds.

Somehow, Sakura had thought of him before passing out and yet he, on the other hand, had spent his past 15 minutes thinking of all the way to accuse her.

And just like that, as Sasuke noted the slight clammy appearance to her skin and the weariness to the skin under her eyes, it became very difficult to direct his anger towards Sakura.   

After that day, everything started to fall into place very easily for Sasuke - perhaps a little too easily for his comfort, admittedly. 

They didnt  _just_  spar any more and their lunches afterwards would become more frequent.

On the odd day when he  _did_ receive messages that she was stuck at the hospital, concern for her well-being would reluctantly crawl into his thoughts, recalling her unconscious form from months previous and more often than not, he would find himself in her office. 

His (secret) concern for her didnt just span to the girl over-working herself, however. When on the second year anniversary of Sasuke’s return, Team 7 went out on their first mission and Sakura had nearly,  _oh so nearly,_ been struck down before his eyes, the Uchiha recalled quite vividly how sickeningly fast his stomach had dropped. 

It was the relief from seeing her dart away at the last second, that made him think his feelings may no longer be platonic and had, in fact, been building for some time.

Considering how at the start of their delicate  _acquaintanceship,_ Sasuke had been excited by the way the girl threw herself into the thick of things, excited by the way she was so up for the fight, it was now strange to think how it filled him with such a sense of dread - watching her dance so close to others blades made his chest clench  _so_  tightly and uncomfortably that he would often find himself taking down her opponent before she could reach them.

He didnt care how much it irritated her. She wouldnt be dying on his watch. 

It was sudden realisation that he wasnt prepared for a life without Sakura that reluctantly confirmed that his feelings for the girl were  _definitely_  not platonic.

Sasuke didnt want to admit that he might, just  _might,_  love her because that would mean accepting something he had long since thought ridiculous, if not impossible.

Love was irrational, it was dangerous and made people reckless. He didnt want to be any of those things (even if he already acted in such a way countless times when concerning her).

But if there was one thing that Sasuke was willing to admit, it was that his  _feelings_ for Sakura hadnt been sudden - they hadnt hit him all at once in the Hokage’s office and he hadnt caught himself staring at her only to find her smile take his breath away. 

No,it hadnt been like that at all.

If anything, it was slow burning. To  _fall_ for her would be an incorrect way to phrase how he had come to terms with Sakura. 

No, his feelings towards her had risen in frequency and intensity without his consent, building until he could no longer ignore the noise of his thoughts or beating of his heart. It wasnt quick, it wasnt clumsy.

It was not a fall, it was a crescendo.

x-x-x-x-


End file.
